Mr. Eberts, coolest nerd at Strathmore High

By Braiden Janes Strathmore High School

Room 203 – that’s where the magic happens. Who would have thought one small room could hold so much creativity and innovation?
Mr. Ed Eberts, the coolest nerd at Strathmore High School (SHS), offers courses in computer repair/networking, game programming, industrial design, animation, 3D printing, web design and robotics. One teacher plus one room plus 27 computers plus a variety of equipment equals an electronic wonderland.
Thanks to Eberts, many new classes have been created, allowing students even more variety in option classes and allowing students to graduate high school with skills that are relevant in today’s workforce. Students who finish the computer repair or networking path to the 30 level are able to take a test which will certify them for working in different IT and networking environments. Normally students would need to take a course at an institution such as SAIT in order to attempt this type of certification.
In robotics class, students learn basic coding to begin controlling each of their robots, and as they advance through the courses, will begin creating their own robots that can function in a variety of ways. Eberts’ current project in this class is building a robot that moves along a wire, hoping to eventually make a room-scale ClawBot. He is also working on a light-painting wand that uses LEDs to paint pictures in the air.
Eberts isn’t one to sit still. When asked if money wasn’t an issue, what would his courses look like, he replied, “probably bigger and more robots. I’ve also been thinking about drones and drone-racing and how to bring that to SHS. Oh, and more VR (virtual reality). We have one VR station and some students are getting into coding on it. We made a VR game last year that included 3D scanned students as the enemies. That was a fun project.”
Eberts is always smiling and it’s easy to tell he loves his job. When asked about it, he stated, “Well, I do have the best toys. Computers, 3D printers and robots are a lot of fun. I love that it is both technical and creative at the same time. Also, I have to say that the kids out here in Strathmore are great to work with. The staff too. It’s a fantastic school.”
Other interesting classes are web design in which students learn to create web pages and understand web languages and game programming. In animation class, students will start off learning the basics and a large amount of respect for the first animators who had to draw every frame. As the course goes on, however, they learn more advanced techniques and will have opportunities to create their own animated clips.
Despite originally being a math major in university, thanks to some engineering courses he took, Eberts did many of the things he now teaches as hobbies. He came to Strathmore after working as a math and physics teacher at a junior high school in Calgary. Between his personal projects and teaching and helping run the new eSports team, he is very busy and yet manages to still create an interesting and fun classroom experience.
Although it is not as well known, Eberts also has a passion for automobiles and motorcycles, perhaps to offset his nerdy vibe.
“I think that students today spend so much time with technology that they like to learn both how it works and gaining new skills they can use,” he said. “Kids like my courses because every class has projects that are tangible and achievable, and in my experience that keeps students interested and motivated.”
Thanks to his variety of classes and interesting personal projects, his classroom has become the hub of activity and a place where students love to be.